Coupling.



P. KUBINA.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 15. 1914.

1,172,217. Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., wAsl-lmu'rm i, D. c.

rn'rnn KUBINA, or STAB JUNCTION, PENNSYLVANIA.

COUPLING.

iamait.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15,1918.

Application filed December 15, 1914-. Serial No. 877,397.

To all whom it may concern i Be it known that 1, Palm: KUBINA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Star Junction, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to coupling devices for cars, such as cars employed in mines or other comparatively small cars which travel upon a track, and the object of the invention is to provide a coupling means for such cars which shall be simple, cheap and efiective as well as automatic in its action.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a freight car provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is. a bottom plan View of the same and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line m-a: of Fig. 2.

As it is one of the primary objects of the invention to construct a coupling which shall be cheap as well as effective, the same may be constructed from strap iron, the iron, however, being of a suflicient strength and durability to render the device substantial. Therefore, in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings I have shown a car l-having on its upper face and extending centrally through the said car an upper and lower strap of suitable iron, indicated by the numerals 2 and 3 respectively. Both the upper and lower straps project a suitable distance beyond one of the ends of the car, and the said end or platform of the car is centrally slotted or cut-away, as at 4, below the projecting end of the iron as well as to the opposite sides of the said iron, and likewise the corners of the said platform are beveled inwardly. This arrangement, however, occurs upon both ends of the car, as shown in the several views of the drawing. The mentioned projecting end of the lower strap, which is, for distinction, indicated by the numeral 5, has its end preferably bent downwardly to provide a directing link indicated by the numeral 6 and is provided with a substantially rectangular opening .7 which is disposed both forward of the car and, of course, directly over the central opening or bifurcation at the end of the car. The projecting end of the upper strap, which is indicated by the numeral 8 is bent upwardly over the end '7 of the strap 3 and extended longitudinally over the end The portion 8 at the end thereof is bent upon itself to provide a transverse eye 9', the metal being extended over the portion 8 and secured thereto, thus doubling the thickness of the portion 8 and adding to the strength thereof. The eye is adapted to receive one member 10 of a combined coupling pin and handle, the said member 10 having one of its ends bent longitudinally in the direction of the tran verse end of the member or jaw 8 beyond one of the sides of the said jaw and continued rearwardly'toward the body of the car to provide a handle 11. The second end of the member 10 is continued below the jaw S and is centrally bent or extended clownwardly to provide a coupling pin 12. The pin 12 is adapted to be received normally within the opening 7 in the projecting end or lower jaw of the coupler head 5. It is to be understood that the pin 12 is of sutiicient weight to at all times swing within the opening 7 in the lower jaw member of the coupler head and consequently retain the handle 11 at an angle with relation to the upper jaw of the said head so that the member 10 may be rotated within the eye to bring the pin 12 out of the opening and against the underface of the upper aw of the coupler head to release the said head from the co-engaging car when desired. The opposite end of the lower strap 3 extends within a slot or central bifurcation in the second end of the car, and is centrally provided with a downturned lip 13.

The numeral 14 designates a. flat link which has one of its ends pivotally connected, as at 15, beyond or to the rear of the link 13. The link 14, it will be thus noted. is normally retained parallel with the strap 3, and, of course, projects beyond the end of the car. The swinging movement of the link, in a lateral direction, is limited by the contact of either of the side arms of the said link with either of the sides of the lip 13, this feature being desirable if not essential when the cars are rounding curves.

The links at one end of one of the cars is so arranged as to move between the upper and lower jaws of the coupler head of the co-acting car when two or more cars are to be connected, and it will be obvious, of course, that after the pin 12 has been passed by the end member of the link l-Ll, the same .1 will drop by gravity between the arms of in the lower jaw of the coupling head,

' y when the handle isoperated to bring the coupling pin out of engagement with the link.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. The herein described construction of car couplers, comprising two flat longitudinally extending plates cne resting on the other and both secured to the platform of a. car and both of the plates projecting beyondthe end of the car, the extending end of the lower plate being slotted and the end of the vupper plate being bent upwardly and angularly over the slotted end of the lower plate the angular end oi the said upper plate being bent upon itself to provide an eye-and being'continued in contacting relation With the first mentioned bent portion and having its end engaging with the lower plate to the rearof the slot therein, and a gravity coupling pin adapted to be received in the slot of the lower plate and having a body portionbent and received in the eye.

2; A coupler constructed of two separable plates having overlying body portions which are connected to the platform, the lower plate having its end slotted the up- Jer )late havin its end bent over and PETER KUBINA. lVitnesses J OSEPH TnoMBnsKY, 7 Jon KUBINA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

